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Sports Illustrated: The marketing of female athletes is always tricky, especially when it comes to appearance. With your background as a model and nickname as the "Karate Hottie," how do you want to be marketed as an athlete?

Michelle Waterson: People are going to see me however they want to see me. Obviously, sex sells and whatnot. Part of that, as far as my image, was me. When I was first getting into it, I was working at Hooters and I was doing bikini competitions, photo shoots for calendars, and this and that. But it's not necessarily who I am now. If people want to view me as that and label me as that, that's perfectly fine. Because if that's going to get me in the door so people can actually see how skilled I am as an athlete, that's fine. I'll play the game. To me, people are going to judge you no matter what, no matter how you put yourself out there. In my opinion, they can judge however they want to. Hopefully, it's in a positive light.

SI: You took a brief hiatus from fighting to give birth to your daughter, Araya, who just turned two. How has motherhood changed you as a fighter?

MW: Once I had my daughter, it heightened my sense of reality ... It makes you really question, is this something I should be doing with my life and for my daughter? Will my daughter look up to me because of it? It's made me more passionate about [fighting] and it's made me more driven because I want to show my daughter that you can go after your dreams and still be a good mother. Anything is possible. If I can show that to her, and just set an example with what I'm doing with my life, that would be the best teacher to her.

I started reading this article and thought... There better be a picture... You did not disappoint. Lol

Are started reading the article and made the mistake of scrolling down to see the picture while reading. After seein the picture I stopped reading and started thinking a whole lot of nasty shit I would do to this woman.

Waterson is a well-rounded, game fighter who has been steadily improving since Fight Girls. A win over Penne--no slouch either--would propel her into top 10 Wp4p, in my opinion.

rh

All manner of men came to work for the News: everything from wild young Turks who wanted to rip the world in half and start all over again -- to tired, beer-bellied old hacks who wanted nothing more than to live out their days in peace before a bunch of lunatics ripped the world in half.

Do you hthink she will be taken as a legit fighter with a nickname like Karate Hottie

I imagine if she proves herself in the cage she'll be taken as seriously as any other female fighter... Lets be honest, they are already taken less seriously than the men... Which is absurd... So I don't mind her whatever gets my foot in the door attitude, as long as she backs it up(pun not intended haha)

yeah the human race has a long way to go when it comes to equality for all. I mean don't get me wrong, women fighting is a huge step in the right directions, but attitudes toward them have not really changed that much from the 1950's. Man men if not most see them as weaker for the most part. Even though they can bear the most painful human experience possible, which is childbirth. Because they have less density in their muscles, they are somehow regarded as inferior athletes. I think for many women that fuels them to continue to improve their technique. But just as it is with the men, very few women are Great fighters. Hopefully as more great fighters emerge, they can inspire new generations of female fighters. In 20 or 30 years who knows?

"I don't call the fighting in my films 'violent', I call it 'action'. An action film borders between fantasy and reality. If I were to be completely realistic in my films, you would call me a violent, bloody man. I would simply destroy my opponent by tearing his guts out. I wouldn't do it so artistically." ~Bruce Lee